Since the last chapter of this story began B.C. (before Covid) I wanted to remind you of what happened in the "previous episode" of this project before getting into the latest chapter. Back then a team gathered to determine the history of the Grey Cottage, any restrictions that might be on it, and then consider every possible option we had to move forward with that property.
We found that it had been purchased by the church for the purpose of controlling the property adjoining the church. Therefore, even though the vestry had chosen to use it as housing rented below market rate, that had been a choice of the vestry, and not a condition of a gift. It was also discovered that, for reasons lost to history, the Grey Cottage is now not on its own property. It sits on a single parcel with the church and rectory which totals just under an acre of land. This meant that the structures on our property were grandfathered into current building codes, but anything we did with the Grey Cottage now could not make our whole parcel "less conforming" to current codes. This took selling it off the table because it didn't have its own land.
With history and code issues known, the group looked into all remaining options including razing it and not rebuilding, building new on the old footprint, and remodeling. After extensive study, the recommendation was for remodeling. Due to the extent of that work, we knew the only way we could accomplish it would be with the building empty. The Vestry Council decided to go ahead with the remodel. After that we would rent the units at market rate until the loan was repaid. After repayment, the Vestry Council would reassess how we wanted to use that property going forward. At that point the pandemic hit and everything was put on hold.
Fast forward now to two weeks ago when we were able to congratulate our tenants on finding new homes! Then onto last week when Catherine M., Mark H., and I walked through the empty building with a couple of General Contractors with plans drawn up by Frank G. and Bob M. and Karen B. met with a commercial lender to look into getting the construction loan we will need to take on this project. It is such a gift to have such expert talent within our own congregation to help us with this project!
After those initial meetings I am confident that we will be able to both secure a general contractor and the funding. There is still a long way to go. Obtaining building materials is still difficult. There may be other unknown issues that need to be addressed once the remodel begins. The timetable for completing the project will take longer than similar projects took pre pandemic for a number of reasons. In the end, however, I am hopeful that the rents we get for our remodeled apartments will pay our mortgage and maybe even give us a little extra on the side.
Before construction begins I would encourage everyone in our congregation to take a walk through both apartments. Many of us have never seen them! For those who have, I suspect it was literally decades ago! Keep in mind as you walk through, the current condition is not the result of having "bad" tenants. They have actually been excellent! Instead, the current condition is more the result of tenants who have stayed for very long periods of time and us not wanting to disturb them to do the major work that was needed. Put together, those two things have been kicking the can down the road for literally decades now.
I am thankful the Vestry Council has chosen to do the hard thing and not keep kicking the can even though it meant asking our tenants to find new homes. I think you will see the needed work is long past due. Call or email me if you'd like a tour during the week, or take some time after church on Sunday to walk through. If you have any other questions, please ask!
Pastor Erik
